EU delegations and EU Member State Embassies all over the world join forces to emphasise the importance and benefit of climate action on the second Climate Diplomacy Day, 17 June 2015. This time, the sense of urgency is unmistakable as the decisive UN Climate Conference COP21 in Paris will take place later this year. To keep us on track to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C, the international community needs to secure a fair, ambitious and legally binding international agreement there. Not only will climate action allow mitigating risks to human livelihoods and to international security; it will also bring about significant economic and business opportunities. Timely investment in low carbon, climate resilient development can generate jobs and growth, and reduce the long term costs of lowering emissions and adapting to climate change impacts.
From interviews, roundtables and conferences to film screenings and bicycle tours – European diplomats will use innovative formats to highlight the positive action that is being taken around the globe. In Berlin, the German Federal Foreign Office, the British and the French embassies invite to a panel discussion and reception on how climate change concerns every one of us.
By following #ClimateDiploDay on Twitter, you will get the latest updates on Climate Diplomacy Day 2015 and the events taking place at about 50 locations worldwide.
The first Climate Diplomacy Day was carried out successfully by Germany, the UK and France on 9 September 2014, with parallel events taking place in over 30 countries. For more, watch this video.
Find more information on the European Climate Diplomacy Day here.
The surge in the frequency and intensity of climate change impacts has raised the alarm about how this could hamper coastal activities. Several critical ports in the Indo-Pacific region are hubs of international trade and commerce and at the same time vulnerable to typhoons, taller waves and erosion. India’s climate diplomacy at the regional level could activate climate-resilient pathways for port development and management.
After an 18-month stretch without a White House science adviser – the longest any modern president has gone without a science adviser – Trump appoints extreme weather expert Kelvin Droegemeier to the post. Kelvin Droegemeier is vice president for research at the University of Oklahoma and a climate change scientist. His selection was widely welcomed.
Climate change threatens conflict and poverty in the Arab region, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP). In a report published last week, the agency suggested climate risks could derail development gains, such as the decrease in infant mortality and the achievement of near universal primary education.
The links between climate change and security have started entering regional resolutions through the UN Security Council. Germany, elected for a seat on the Council in 2019-20, will again prioritize climate-related security risks as one of its main agendas. What prospects does a renewed engagement on climate security risks offer and is there scope for preventive participation?